Communicating Results of Classroom Management Research to Practitioners. Classroom Organization and Effective Teaching.

Sanford, Julie P.; And Others

Descriptions are given of recent dissemination and collaboration efforts of the Classroom Organization and Effective Teaching (COET) Project, which is a program of the University of Texas (Austin) Research and Development Center for Teacher Education. A brief review of COET research findings is provided, and materials and activities that can be used directly in teacher inservice activities are offered. The first section consists of an overview of the COET Project's classroom management studies, including a current experimental study of 41 elementary classes in a newly desegregated setting. The second section presents some general recommendations for organizing research-based workshops on classroom management based on the COET Project experiences. In the third section, materials and guidelines for teacher workshop activities on classroom management and organization are offered, along with directions for conducting each activity. The workshop activities include: (1) introducing COET studies of classroom management; (2) evaluating classroom arrangements; (3) discussing guidelines for classroom rules and procedures; (4) small group discussion of procedural problems; (5) sharing rules, rewards, and penalties; (6) case studies of teaching procedures; (7) videotaping of the first day of school; (8) planning activities for the first day of school; (9) discussing guidelines for managing student behavior; (10) small group problem discussions; (11) introducing guidelines for maintaining student accountability; and (12) sharing accountability procedures. Appended are copies of handouts to be used with the suggested activities and a compilation of evaluations obtained from different COET Project presentations and workshops. (JD)